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WGN Channel 9 - Family Classics - "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" (Opening, 1986)

Opening moments for WGN Channel 9's Family Classics presentation of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, featuring Roy Leonard as host. Includes:

Promo for Rocker '85 to be aired Wednesday, January 15th (main voiceover by Doug Paul, ending voiceover by Merri Dee)

Animated opening title sequence for Family Classics (show title printed on cover of book which is laid out on a velvet surface), with scenes from various classics made into movies (Moby Dick, Zorro, Robin Hood, The Last of the Mohicans, The War of the Worlds), before cutting back to book laid out on velvet.

Host Roy Leonard comes out and introduces the film, pulling out a book with the title on the cover from the bookshelf (what's with the staircase step ladder, anyway?) and explaining the premise of the movie; he also mentions that the sets from this film were reused for the 1964-68 TV series of the same name.

Opening moments of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea with 20th Century-Fox logo and fanfare, CinemaScope notice, and movie title, all "squeezed" in CinemaScope aspect ratio (theme song sung by Frankie Avalon)

(This was the third and final airing of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea on Family Classics; the film was shown previously on Sunday, November 27th 1983 and Sunday, November 18th 1984.)

This aired on local Chicago TV on Sunday, January 12th 1986 at 3:30pm.

An animated intro for "Family Classics". Host Roy Leonard. What's with the staircase step ladder? Instead of the book on rumpled velvet, Roy Leonard pulls the book "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" from the bookshelf.

Commercial for Sugar Free General Foods International Coffee Suisse Mocha with NutraSweet.

Commerical with Cher for Chicago Health & Racquetball Club.

Commerical for FaceLifters Million Dollar Half-Off Kitchen Sale.

20th Century Fox opening logo in CinemaScope aspect ratio.Comment posted by Szake on Saturday, April 9th 2011 at 7:10pm.

Merri Dee end voiceover for Rocker '85 promo. Frankie Avalon sings the theme song to the movie. Comment posted by Phantom on Saturday, April 9th 2011 at 7:34pm.

Obviously, Roy Leonard took over sometime after Frazier's death and after the movies weren't hosted by anyone....Comment posted by HUdson 3-2700 on Saturday, April 9th 2011 at 7:44pm.

Actually I like this old 20th Century Fox logo better than the current computer-animated logo that was first introduced in 1994.Comment posted by Betamax75 on Saturday, April 9th 2011 at 10:57pm.

The main voiceover for that "Rocker '85" promo sounds like it's Doug Paul.Comment posted by W.B. on Sunday, April 10th 2011 at 6:19am.

I'm pretty sure the animated opening was done in the style of the old "Classics Illustrated" comic books. I never liked this new opening, and remember a feeling of disappointment when it was given the facelift...at least the theme was saved....but it's nice to see it again after twenty-some years.

The stepladder is there so those books on the top shelves can be reached. It does look a little odd though.

I thought if they were going to do the animated intro, they should have a different theme. It just wasn't right for this. It looked thrilling, but the theme is too soft for that.Comment posted by NuBnPrnc2k on Sunday, April 10th 2011 at 7:57pm.

I've never seen this opening before. Interesting.Comment posted by 4thtroika on Monday, April 11th 2011 at 4:15am.

Edited description for this clip.Comment posted by W.B. on Tuesday, April 12th 2011 at 12:34am.

@Loyal32Fan: All that is on display at the new Museum of Broadcast Communications. The chair, painting of Garfield Goose, and the bookcase are on display right when you walk in the doors and Frazier's costume is on display by the Garfield Goose puppets, which is in an area that also has all the different costumes from Bozo's Circus and Ray Rayner show. While I do like the building since they have more room for exhibits, I do NOT like having to pay $12 for admission! It's like what happened to the Museum of Science and Industry. For the longest time, it was free admission then when they started charging admission, it got expensive. I dread the day they start charging admission to Lincoln Park Zoo. Sadly, I think that day will happen within a few years. Will there be ANYTHING left to do for free in Chicago anymore?

I remember visiting the Museum of Broadcast Communications back in 1998. I saw Thomas' costume from his Garfield Goose show on display. I also saw the chair with the book on it from Family Classics also on display. It was very interesting.

Yay!!! I have been hunting for this forever! I did not realize it was so short or that Captin America specifically was involved = fuzzy. I always did think that freezer guy "The Cold Air Crook" was a creep. Oh, the old channel 32...